Seeing that the conversation between the two had reached a stalemate, even Runtu, who was usually slow to notice things, felt a little uncomfortable.
He took a deep breath and finally spoke, explaining, "Madam, since the General did not specifically instruct me on this matter, I cannot arbitrarily disclose military affairs to anyone."
Oh, so it's like signing a confidentiality agreement, the kind where you can't tell even your closest relatives, right?
Zheng Quchi expressed his understanding.
Actually, she wasn't angry at all. Instead, she said frankly, "I was being reckless. I didn't know anything and asked a bunch of questions, causing you trouble."
“No…” Runtu clearly felt that Zheng Quchi was being sarcastic and mocking him. He struggled with how to express his meaning, and finally, after some consideration, he dared to say, “General, you value your wife very much. The reason he didn’t want his subordinates to tell you is definitely for your wife’s good. Please believe me.”
Loyalty was his duty, and sharing the burdens of his lord was what he should do. He didn't want his taciturnity to cause a rift between the general and his wife.
Zheng Quchi was taken aback, unsure how to respond or interpret his words.
"Is that what you think?"
She smiled casually.
But the next second, Runtu's words made the smile on her lips freeze.
Runtu sensed her disapproval and frowned slightly: "Madam, you should judge people not with your eyes, but with your heart."
Inside the carriage, her gaze fell on the swaying curtain, and she asked, "Why... do you say that?"
Runtu clenched his fists, feeling that there were some things he had to say: "Madam, do you know what Runtu, as the Commander of the Xuanjia Cavalry, is responsible for on the battlefield?"
She guessed it was probably a striker or something similar, but that was just a guess and not a certainty.
"I don't know."
Runtu didn't keep him in suspense and said directly, "It is the commander who dispatched the guard. When my soldiers are on the march and fighting, they can charge forward and also keep an eye on the rear at all times. Because the generals and commanders must move with the army, he is the 'central hub' of the entire army and absolutely cannot make any mistakes. Therefore, my primary responsibility and that of the guard are actually to protect the general's safety. It is his personal guard."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Quchi's expression gradually faded, and he finally fell silent in astonishment.
Seeing that she seemed to understand, Runtu continued, "We are the general's sword and shield, while I, as the cavalry commander, am more like the general's armor, protecting him from a fatal blow. Yet the general gave his life-protecting armor to the lady. Doesn't that say something?"
After listening, Zheng Quchi gently tapped her fingernails on the wooden board. She wasn't completely swayed by his words. Although she was indeed shocked, she still had her own judgment and thoughts: "This is enough to show that he has a use for me."
As for its purpose, and the source of this appreciation, she couldn't guess, nor did she want to.
Seeing that Zheng Quchi was completely unmoved and had a clear and empty mind, Runtu didn't say anything more.
He had seen many emotional women who would throw themselves into a relationship because of a man's special circumstances or unique qualities, but this was the first time he had seen one so calm and composed.
“Madam, please sit down. The mountain road is rugged, and the journey may be a bit bumpy,” he reminded her.
"Thank you for the reminder, I will pay attention."
Along the way, neither of them spoke. In fact, unless Zheng Quchi deliberately struck up a conversation, Runtu would never start a casual chat unless he had something to do.
When they were almost at the camp gate, Runtu put Zheng Quchi down in advance so that she could enter the camp first, while he escorted her from the shadows.
He did this entirely in accordance with Zheng Quchi's wishes; she wanted to disguise herself as an ordinary craftsman so that no one would doubt her true origins.
Knowing that Runtu was there for him, Zheng Quchi felt relaxed for the first time on his way up the mountain.
There's a sense of tension and unease, a feeling that you don't have to be like a frightened bird, constantly on guard against your surroundings, wondering if someone is watching, attacking, or lying in ambush.
Although she has always tried to act normally, she has long since lost her composure.
Although she had escaped all the life-or-death situations she had faced and it seemed like the past was over, the trauma, the constant anxiety, fear, and struggle to survive were never forgotten.
Humans are actually creatures that easily forget pain. That's not true. What we forget is our brains, but every wound in the past will be reflected in her unconscious behavior at certain moments.
She lost her sense of security. She didn't know when it started, but whenever she was alone or in a secluded environment, she would feel nervous and sensitive.
Yuwen Sheng seemed to sense her unease and sent Runtu. At first, she was somewhat resistant to him, but later she felt that such a person might be easier to get along with.
Because he was rigid and cold, like an unmoved stone, he neither liked nor hated her. She was just a task for him, a task that he had to protect.
And because of this, his presence was like a shadow, making her feel at ease. She didn't need to be on guard, vigilant, or deliberately try to get along with him. She could just be herself and leave everything to him.
He told her that she shouldn't judge people with her eyes, but with her heart.
Actually, she understood what those words meant.
She also understood that Yuwen Sheng had put his heart into treating her.
But because of this, she ruffled her hair, feeling very irritable.
She was a sensible and self-aware person. She didn't want to gamble her future on Yuwen Sheng's sincerity because... he was too dangerous.
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